Playfulness and Faithfulness at work...
It seems like it goes without saying, but people like to have fun at work.
I realize so many aspects of work don't naturally lend themselves to fun, nor should they. There are rough decisions and tough conversations. There are grueling days of slogging through necessary evils and calculated risks. So I'm not minimizing the reality of honest toil and even the true fulfillment of hard work...we were made to labor for something that matters.
But we take ourselves too seriously. The gravity of the goals can eclipse the levity of our souls. And make no mistake, our souls need levity as they carry the weight of the world. We need the healing of laughter and the encouragement of a simple smile. We need comic relief throughout the day to soften our spirits and give them the nourishment they need to do the hard things. I find that I'm more fueled to do difficult things when I've let myself enjoy simple things, quirky things, funny things. There's a balance that surfaces that feels more sustainable under those circumstances.
I've tanked myself before dealing with weighty things, one after the other. I've not allowed time for recreation (re-creation) knowing how many important things need to be cared for. No margin for down time or play time.
Playtime.
When we're young, playing is essential. But as we grow older, it can easily be set aside as unnecessary and immature. We couldn't be more mistaken. Playfulness is critical to survival in a world of bad news and sad news.
One of the things I've noticed on our staff at Impact is just the love of fun. The priority of pranks and jokes, laughter and lightheartedness. With all that is pressing in around us, it creates space to relieve the pressure of pressing issues. It lets us breathe and catch our breath. It gives us a sense that life is more than trouble-shooting and problem-solving. The atmosphere of the office is filled with the echoes of hearty laughter and shotgun giggles. We love to laugh...hard. We love to make people laugh. We want always to remember the joy of the Lord as we do the work of the Lord.
And you know what? More work gets done in less time (most of the time). You've heard the phrase: "Work smarter, not harder." I would modify it and say it like this: "Work healthier, not harder." I've had weeks when I'm working like a madman and feel like very little is getting accomplished. So much stress, so much pressure, so many burdens caused by so many expectations. It's exhausting. But I've also had weeks that should just waylay me and I feel full. Full of life and light. Full of hope and healing. Full of joy and Jesus. Full of vim and vigor. I've found that playfulness at work lightens to load. It bolsters my inner being and propels me into the pain with a power that I can't manufacture on my own. Play is power.
I was driving down the road thinking about this thought yesterday and two words came to mind. Playfulness and Faithfulness. These are the two attributes that side-by-side can turn the work-world upside-down. We weren't just made to be leaders, we were made to be cheerleaders. Cheer is absent from most work environments. You can have all the leaders in the word, but gut out the cheer and watch what happens; rather, watch what doesn't happen. We are creatures in need of more time for recreation at work. My kids call it recess. I call it playtime.
I realize so many aspects of work don't naturally lend themselves to fun, nor should they. There are rough decisions and tough conversations. There are grueling days of slogging through necessary evils and calculated risks. So I'm not minimizing the reality of honest toil and even the true fulfillment of hard work...we were made to labor for something that matters.
But we take ourselves too seriously. The gravity of the goals can eclipse the levity of our souls. And make no mistake, our souls need levity as they carry the weight of the world. We need the healing of laughter and the encouragement of a simple smile. We need comic relief throughout the day to soften our spirits and give them the nourishment they need to do the hard things. I find that I'm more fueled to do difficult things when I've let myself enjoy simple things, quirky things, funny things. There's a balance that surfaces that feels more sustainable under those circumstances.
I've tanked myself before dealing with weighty things, one after the other. I've not allowed time for recreation (re-creation) knowing how many important things need to be cared for. No margin for down time or play time.
Playtime.
When we're young, playing is essential. But as we grow older, it can easily be set aside as unnecessary and immature. We couldn't be more mistaken. Playfulness is critical to survival in a world of bad news and sad news.
One of the things I've noticed on our staff at Impact is just the love of fun. The priority of pranks and jokes, laughter and lightheartedness. With all that is pressing in around us, it creates space to relieve the pressure of pressing issues. It lets us breathe and catch our breath. It gives us a sense that life is more than trouble-shooting and problem-solving. The atmosphere of the office is filled with the echoes of hearty laughter and shotgun giggles. We love to laugh...hard. We love to make people laugh. We want always to remember the joy of the Lord as we do the work of the Lord.
And you know what? More work gets done in less time (most of the time). You've heard the phrase: "Work smarter, not harder." I would modify it and say it like this: "Work healthier, not harder." I've had weeks when I'm working like a madman and feel like very little is getting accomplished. So much stress, so much pressure, so many burdens caused by so many expectations. It's exhausting. But I've also had weeks that should just waylay me and I feel full. Full of life and light. Full of hope and healing. Full of joy and Jesus. Full of vim and vigor. I've found that playfulness at work lightens to load. It bolsters my inner being and propels me into the pain with a power that I can't manufacture on my own. Play is power.
I was driving down the road thinking about this thought yesterday and two words came to mind. Playfulness and Faithfulness. These are the two attributes that side-by-side can turn the work-world upside-down. We weren't just made to be leaders, we were made to be cheerleaders. Cheer is absent from most work environments. You can have all the leaders in the word, but gut out the cheer and watch what happens; rather, watch what doesn't happen. We are creatures in need of more time for recreation at work. My kids call it recess. I call it playtime.
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